Steam drier



May 12, 1925. 537,690

R. S. PORTHAM ET AL STEAM DRIER Filed May 9. 1923 Patented May 12, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENTHOFFICIII-LI.

ROLAND S. PORTHAM, ST. JOHNS WOOD, AND ALBERT E. TOMPKINS, OF BROCKEN- HUB/ST, ENGLAND.

STEAM DRIER.

Application filed May 9,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that We, ROLAND SYDNEY PORTHAM, a subject of the King of Great Britain, of 33, Circus Road, St. Johns I W'ood, in the county of Middlesex, engineer, and ALBERT EDWARD TOMPKINS, a subject of the King of Great Britain, of Little Brookley, Brockenhurst, Hants, England, engineer captain, R. N. (retired), have invented new and useful Improvements in Steam Driers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to steam driers of the vortex type.

The invention is also applicable to the drying of air and gases or the separation of liquids and gases.

The term steam drier herein employed is intended to cover apparatus for any or all 20 of the purposes mentioned;

The invention has for its object the provision of improvements by means of which certain advantages shall be obtained.

A steam drier in accordance with this in- 26 vention having a Water separating chamber in which the steam is given high velocity rotary flow to separate out the contained water by centrifugal force is characterized by the features, in combination, that the steam inlet and steam outlet are separated from one another by a partition to prevent direct flow of steam'there-between, that guide deflecting passages are provided in or in connection with the partition to impart high velocity rotary flow to the steam as it enters the water separating chamber, and that the water discharge outlet situated at or about the greatest diameter of the Water separating chamber on the side of the partition remote from the steam inlet and is arranged to surround, wholly or partly, the steam outlet and provide an exit through which the separated Water is discharged tangentially.

Further, in accordance with this invention, the walls of the water dischargeoutlet are parallel or substantially parallel tothe direction of flow of steam at the steam outlet.

In order that the invention may be clearly and readily understood, an embodiment of the'invention will now be described by the aid of the-accompanying drawings on which,

Figs. 1 and 2 are respectively vertical and 1923. Serial No. 637,902.

horizontal sectional views taken at right angles toone another.

The water separating chamber comprises a bell or dome shaped member 1 having at its upper part an opening 2 which constitutes the steam inlet. The lower end of the bell or dome shaped member 1 is closed by a member constituted of a pipe or duct portion 3, which constitutes the steam outlet, and a circular flange or ring portion 4. The latter is of a diameter such that when the member 3, 4 is placed in position within the member 1, a slot 5 (or a plurality of slots) is formed between the periphery I of the flange or ring portion 4 and the inner Wall of the member 1. The slot 5 constitutes the Water discharge outlet and as will be seen surrounds the steam outlet and its walls are parallel to the direction of flow of steam through the steam outlet 3. The member 3, 4: is secured in position by bolts 6 which pass through the wall of the member 1 and enter bosses or projections 7 on the lower side of the flange'or ring portion 4:. The partition 8 is disposed between the steam inlet 2 and the steam outlet 3. The partition 8 is supported in position on the steam outlet 3 by standards 9, said standards being either integral with the partition 8 or with the steam outlet 3. 10 are vanes which are integral or not with the partition 8 and between which are constituted guide deflecting passages.

Steam enters the separator through the in let 2, and is deflected by the partition 8 towards the guide deflecting passages through which it flows. The vanes 10 act thereon and impart high velocity rotary flow to the steam. The wall of the separator opposite the vanes 10 is of curved formation and assists in imparting the high velocity rotary flow to the steam. The entrained water is separated out by the centrifugal action and proceeds towards the slots along the wall of the separator in a spiral path, and is subsequently ejected through the slots 5 in a di rection tangential to the outer wall thereof. The dry steam escapes through the outlet 3.

'VVhat we claim is A steam drier comprising a bell-shaped casing structure having a steam inlet at its upper end and a steam outlet constituted by a member contained in its lower end, an an- 10!;

nular water separating chamber connecting the steam inlet and steam outlet, an annular baflie surrounding the steam outlet, a. deflector obstructing direct flow of steam between the steam inlet and steam outlet, a 5 series of fixed vanes surrounding the steam inlet between the casing and said deflector to I form a. series of deflecting passages arranged in conjunction with the steam inlet and deflector to impart high velocity rotary flow to the steam passing therebetween, and 10 a water discharge outlet constituted between the bell-shaped casing and the member in which the steam outlet is constituted.

Dated this 25th day of April 1923.

1 ROLAND S. PORTHAM.

A. E. TOMPKINS. 

